The present invention relates to an image processing method and apparatus for sensing, recording, and playing back still and moving images, a control method therefor, and a storage medium which stores a control program for controlling the image processing apparatus.
Conventionally, image processing apparatuses such as electronic cameras and the like, which record/play back still and moving images using memory cards having solid state memory elements as recording media have already been commercially available, and electronic cameras with electronic viewfinders such as color liquid crystal panels and the like have also been commercially available.
These electronic cameras allow the electronic camera user to determine the camera angle by continuously displaying images before sensing, and to confirm the sensed images by playing back and displaying them.
Especially, the function of generating a panoramic image by combining a plurality of sensed images is very convenient and effective for the electronic camera user.
However, in such conventional image processing apparatus such as an electronic camera or the like, since it is hard to sense a panoramic image with a complicated combination of images or to provide a viewfinder display which is convenient upon sensing a panoramic image with a complicated combination of images, its image sensing purpose is limited.
When the user of the image processing apparatus such as an electronic camera or the like has determined the camera angle, since he or she cannot start panoramic image sensing in an arbitrary direction, a convenient image processing apparatus cannot be provided.
Furthermore, since neither viewfinder display nor operation that facilitate re-sensing are available immediately after sensing of a panoramic image, a convenient image processing apparatus cannot be provided.
Electronic cameras having variable focus lenses or zoom lenses that can vary the focal length of a photographing lens are also commercially available. However, in such conventional image processing apparatus such as an electronic camera or the like, the user of the image processing apparatus such as an electronic camera or the like may switch the focal length of a photographing lens or zoom during sensing a panoramic image. In such case, upon generating a panoramic image by combining a plurality of sensed images, extra computations for correcting different focal lengths are needed, resulting in a considerable drop of image quality.
When individual sensed images have considerably different angles due to switching of the focal length of the photographing lens or zooming, the outer shape of a synthesized panoramic image varies in units of sensed images and has staircasing.
Furthermore, when the user notices during panoramic image sensing that the focal length of the photographing lens has been switched to a side which is not suitable for panoramic image sensing, or that the zoom position of the zoom lens is not suitable for panoramic image sensing, he or she may switch the focal length of the photographing lens or zoom even while a plurality of images are being sensed for panoramic image sensing, thus posing the above-mentioned problems.
In an electronic camera that uses exchangeable lenses, it is possible for the electronic camera user to determine the camera angle of a panoramic image and sense in correspondence with the selected lens, and such function is effective for the electronic camera user. However, in such conventional image processing apparatus such as an electronic camera or the like, the user of the image processing apparatus such as an electronic camera or the like may exchange the photographing lens by another lens with a different focal length. In such case, upon generating a panoramic image by combining a plurality of sensed images, extra computations for correcting different focal lengths between the former and latter lenses are needed, resulting in a considerable drop of image quality.
When individual sensed images have considerably different angles due to exchange of the photographing lens by another lens with a different focal length, the outer shape of a synthesized panoramic image varies in units of sensed images and has staircasing.
Not only upon panoramic image sensing but also upon mounting a detached photographing lens again, the previous setup state corresponding to that photographing lens must be re-set, resulting in inconvenience.